Thuja plant named ‘Anniek’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Thuja  plant named ‘Anniek’ characterized by its compact plant habit and globular plant form; freely branching habit; dense and bushy form; leaves that are soft to the touch; developing leaves are yellow green in color in the spring and summer becoming bronze in color in the autumn and winter; and good winter hardiness.

Botanical designation: Thuja occidentalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ANNIEK’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Thuja plant, botanically known as Thuja occidentalis and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Anniek’.

The new Thuja plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of Thuja occidentalis ‘Teddy’, not patented. The new Thuja plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors on a single plant within a population of plants of ‘Teddy’ in 2005 in an outdoor nursery in Skierniewice, Poland.

Asexual reproduction of the new Thuja plant by hardwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Skierniewice, Poland has shown that the unique features of this new Thuja plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Thuja have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Anniek’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Anniek’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Thuja plant:

-   -   1. Compact plant habit and globular plant form.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy form.     -   3. Leaves that are soft to the touch.     -   4. Developing leaves are yellow green in color during the spring         and summer becoming bronze in color in the autumn and winter.     -   5. Good winter hardiness.

Plants of the new Thuja can be compared to plants of the parent, ‘Teddy’. Plants of the new Thuja differ primarily from plants of ‘Teddy’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Thuja are more compact than plants of         ‘Teddy’.     -   2. Plants of the new Thuja maintain their dense plant form         whereas plants of ‘Teddy’ tend to fall apart.     -   3. Plants of the new Thuja and ‘Teddy’ differ in leaf color as         developing leaves of plants of ‘Teddy’ are green during the         summer becoming brown during the winter.

Plants of the new Thuja can be compared to plants of Thuja occidentalis, ‘Danica’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Thuja differ primarily from plants of ‘Danica’ in leaf color as developing leaves of plants of ‘Danica’ are green during the summer becoming brown green during the winter.

Plants of the new Thuja can also be compared to plants of Thuja occidentalis, ‘Tiny Tim’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Thuja differ primarily from plants of ‘Tiny Tim’ in leaf color as developing leaves of plants of ‘Tiny Tim’ are green during the summer becoming brown during the winter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Thuja plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Thuja plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Anniek’ during the spring.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a side perspective view of two typical plants of ‘Anniek’ grown during the late summer in containers.

The photograph on the third sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Anniek’ grown during the winter in a container.

The photograph on the fourth sheet is a close-up view of a typical plant of ‘Anniek’ grown during the winter.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in one-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery in Hulsel, The Netherlands and under conditions which closely approximate commercial Thuja plant production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 8° C. to 23° and night temperatures ranged from 1° C. to 14° C. Plants were three years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Thuja occidentalis ‘Anniek’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Thuja occidentalis     ‘Teddy’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By hardwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About one month at 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About two months at             25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to medium in thickness, fibrous; red             and brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Fast to develop roots; freely branching;             dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial coniferous shrub; compact             plant habit and globular plant form; low vigor to moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 12.1 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 13.6 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching with numerous lateral             branches; dense and bushy habit.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 8 cm. Diameter:             About 1.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth. Color: Developing branches: Close             to 145A. Developed branches: Close to N199B and 200C tinged             with close to 183B.         -   Leaf description.—Appearance/arrangement: Flattened and             appressed, scale-like; opposite, simple; sessile. Length:             About 3 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Abruptly acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Venation             pattern: Parallel. Fragrance: When crushed, cedar-like.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous; soft to the touch. Color:             Developing leaves, upper surface: During the spring and             summer, close to N144C; during the autumn and winter, close             to 172B to 172C. Developing leaves, lower surface: During             the spring and summer, close to N144C; during the autumn and             winter, close to N170B. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Year-round, close to 137B; venation, close to 137B.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Year-round, close to             143C; venation, close to 143C. -   Cone description: Cone development has not been observed on plants     of the new Thuja. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Thuja have been observed     have good winter hardiness and to be tolerant to USDA Hardiness Zone     6 and high temperatures of about 35° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Thuja have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Thuja     plants. 

1. A new and distinct Thuja plant named ‘Anniek’ as illustrated and described. 